1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for establishing a connection between multi-platforms, in particular, the present invention relates to a method of establishing a charged connection between multi-platforms.
2. Description of Prior Art
In recent years, electronic industries grow rapidly and various electronic devices are widely used in everyday life. Users use electronic devices for entertaining purposes, such as displaying films and executing games. In addition, work efficiency is significantly improved with the convenient functions delivered by electronic devices.
The functions provided by electronic devices rely on the capabilities of hardware and associated software. For example, users play movies with film playing application on computers. In general, users purchase charged application or download free application depending on the marketing strategies of application developers. Nonetheless, when application is executed on a plurality of electronic devices, the charging mechanism is required to redesign by the application developer.
In an example of screen sharing application, a screen sharing application transmits multimedia data displayed on the screen of a first electronic device to the screen of a second electronic device via network systems. Under the circumstance, it is required to install a transmitting end screen sharing application (referred in the following as transmitting end application) on the first electronic device for transmitting data, and it is required to install a receiving end screen sharing application (referred in the following as receiving end application) on the second electronic device for receiving and processing data.
In view of application developers, when the above transmitting end applications and receiving end applications are free to download by users, it is convenient to use but difficult to collect charges. Accordingly, the interests of application developers are at risk. Further, when a transmitting end application and a receiving end application are both charged, users have to pay twice for performing the same function which is not appropriate. Thus, it is an option to charge either a transmitting end application or a receiving end application when performing the function via a network connection.
In order to provide the above screen sharing function to users, display devices in the markets (for example, a smart television, a projector, and a expanded device for supporting screen sharing), receiving end applications provided by application developers are installed in the devices by default in the factories. Thus, users are allowed to browse the display devices connected to a network and perform screen sharing with transmitting end applications after purchasing the above display devices. However, it is a bottleneck to overcome by application developers to work out on royalty collection mechanisms with manufacturers of display devices.
Part of the manufacturers are not willing to increase the manufacturing cost of display devices for installing free receiving end applications, and users are required to purchase and install charged transmitting end applications in a display device for performing screen sharing. Part of the manufacturers are willing to pay reasonable costs and install charged receiving end applications in a display device such that users are allowed to establish a connection with display devices via free transmitting end applications. However, there are concerns to application developers to resolve such as the reasonable royalties of the applications and the range of authorized functions to installed receiving end applications (for example, the platforms supported by a transmitting end application).
For example, when a display device is installed with a free receiving end application, users have to use a charged transmitting end application for establishing a connection. Otherwise, application developers cannot collect any charges. When a display device is installed with a charged receiving end application, it is required to assure that users do not use a charged transmitting end application for establishing a connection in order to avoid repetitive charging by application developer. In addition, when a display device is installed with a charged receiving end application and users use free transmitting end application for establishing a connection, it is required to judge if the receiving end application supports the transmitting end application used by users.
As mentioned above, it is desired in the market to provide a precise judging mechanism in the market to ensure the application developers to collect deserved charges, to reserve decision right for the manufacturers of pre-bundle free applications or charged applications in such devices, and to notify the users that it is unnecessary to pay twice for both transmitting end application and receiving end application, and also, the users need not to register twice separately for both applications for establishing an unlimited connection.